Friday, April 1, 2016

Wilderness medicine courses

Saint
Joseph’s College is hosting a Wilderness First Responder Course (WFR) and A
Wilderness EMT Course (WEMT) at the campus in Standish from mid-May to early
June. The WFR is the standard for designed the outdoor adventurer, educator,
guide…anyone who wants to go a little farther, to more remote places, and know
what to do when something goes wrong. The 75+ hour course is open to anyone 16
years of age or older. There are no previous training requirements. The WEMT is
the complete course on both wild and urban emergency medicine…care for a person
in a remote setting, rescue them, and then know how to take care of them in the
back of the ambulance. Students in both courses will be taught how to assess
people who are injured or sick far from 911. They learn to resuscitate
patients, stop bleeding, clean and dress wounds, prevent and handle infections,
sprains, fractures, injuries of cold and heat, altitude, animal bites, water
emergencies, CPR, camp hygiene, medical emergencies, backcountry rescue, litter
building and much more.

These
programs stress experiential learning, skills, and focuses not on just what to
do, but how to do, with improvised equipment, far from help. The WFR is the
medical training level that is favored by organizations like Outward Bound,
NOLS, camps, guide services, college, and search and rescue teams…the WEMT
qualifies them to do all the WFR can do, as well as work in the urban EMS
system.

These
courses will be taught by The Kane Schools, who have been teaching wild and
rescue medicine for over 40 years. All courses are taught under the National
Education Standards for EMS and follow the National Scope of Practice and
Wilderness Medical Society guidelines. The WEMT earns the student 5.5 credits
from Eastern Maine Community College. For information contact thekaneschools@gmail.com or 207 935
2608.